Imagine living in a third world country with overcrowded houses and no job. That is how, “about 22% of our country’s 5.2 million Native Americans live” (A Program of Partnership With Native Americans). Right now Native American people take up about 2% of all land in North America, most of it being around the area of North and South Dakota. Over the past week there have been protests over the insertion of an oil pipeline through the Native American people, mainly the Standing Rock tribe’s, sacred land. This new pipeline would, “threaten water supplies for the Standing Rock Sioux and millions of others downstream, and its route would destroy tribal burial grounds and sacred cultural land” (Healy). Many of the Native American people, along …show more content…
On this land the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s ancestors lived and were buried and is the land where there are cultural artifacts. No one would want a pipeline dug through where their loved one was laid to rest, why would the Standing Rock Sioux tribe want it any differently? If we keep on building this pipeline, the tribe is more likely to protest and cause a riot like we have seen over the past few days. This piece of evidence from the New York Times helps to show that these Native American people are not going to back down from their fight. “David Archambault II, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux, said that he was disappointed by the legal setback but that the tribe would make a “full-court press” to urge President Obama and federal officials not to let the pipeline cross the river” (Healy). If we know that these Native Americans are going to riot and cause a halt in the production of this pipeline, it would be unwise to keep going with the process. Another piece of evidence that supports this is a piece from an article written on nativenewsonline.net, a website dedicated to notifying others about Native American news. The quote reads, “We will not rest until our lands, people, waters and sacred places are permanently protected from this destructive pipeline” (Rickert). This quote, again from one of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe …show more content…
This piece of evidence again from the New York Times shows that not only will the Native Americans be threatened but many other too. “Tribal and environmental activists say that the pipeline would threaten water supplies for the Standing Rock Sioux and millions of others downstream” (Healy). If not only the Native Americans will be harmed but potential, like the article said, millions of others will be too, it makes the pipeline that more unreasonable. The government needs to be worrying about all of its people, and this pipeline seems to be causing more harm to them than helping. Another piece of evidence that shows the seriousness of the water issue comes from nativenewsonline.net. “This ruling puts 17 million people who rely on the Missouri River at serious risk” (Rickert). 17 million people is about 5.3% of the United States population, which doesn’t seem like much, but in the end is a massive amount of people. With this statistic alone, it would be crazy to keep on with this
Not just for Native Americans but for blacks, Muslims, Jews, and others, but even now we are dealing with Native American invasion and taking their land again, this time known as the Dakota Pipeline which is currently going on in North Dakota. The Dakota Pipeline is a large oil transmitting pipe that supplies oil across the United States but will be built on protected Native American land. The contractors have taken a look and have said that the pipeline would be a significant amount away from their land, but would be built under their water supply from Lake Oahe and would be at the closest 95 feet under the lake. But the Standing Rock Sioux haven't given up hope they have burought up that there have been over 3,300 incidents in which pipes have had leaks that have affected the environment drinking water and much more. The contractors have said that they have taken extreme precautions and have safety tested everything the Sioux aren't going to take any chances. Even as the Sioux and over 50 other tribes have protested there have been no clear winner of the battle on the Dakota Pipeline. The tribes have been protesting for months and though few have gotten violent many Natives and others with them have been arrested and thrown in jail, which is just another way people can attack the Native People to this
For many Native Americans like Chief Laduke say, “This is a place the creator gave us. This is the only place in the word that is ours.” Native Americans are the true lovers of nature and have an indefinite love for their land. Native Americans have announced that the Dakota Access Pipeline disrespects their culture and their lost loved ones. “The tribe has even sued Army Corps of Engineers for permitting a project that violated the National Historic Preservation Act(NHPA) and the National Environmental Preservation Act(NEPA)” says TIME. This event proves that the pipeline is unjustified and is legally against Native American rights when destroying sacred land. The “National Geographic Channel” also states, “Many tribes members are concerned about burial grounds being disturbed during construction because bulldozers have already removed topsoil on ground that members consider sacred.” The importance of sacred land to Native Americans is significant. Moreso, there is already damage being done before the actual construction. Therefore, it cannot be determined the damage that will be done during the installment of the pipeline. “Those echoes from the land have a power that draws people, allowing them to connect with their roots.” (CNN.com) The importance of land goes in hand with the importance to tradition. Areas that were once having tribal ceremonies in 1713 such as the sundance are currently still used
In this article, the Terry Wade and Ernest Scheyder discuss the protesters citing a treaty in order to occupy the land. Protestors are advocating for the rerouting of the pipeline on the grounds that further construction carries potential spills into drinking water and damage historical tribal sacred lands. The article cites the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, in which the protestors cited, and further discusses how treaty has not been taken seriously in the court of law. The article suggests that at one point the Energy Transfer Company planned to run the pipeline near Bismarck and far from the reservation, but instead decided to choose Standing Rock Sioux Land. This article is useful to point out a solution to the problem as well as the impact of protestors have on this
As professor Ferguson related “Six months ago the Dakota Access Pipeline was provided a permit for the construction to begin. For six months or so there has been development of this pipeline. Now, enter the Standing Rock Sioux, which are one of the Sioux nations, a sovereign indigenous tribe who has historically experienced loss of land and tree rights and been prevalent in this area. Many of them have been pushed into these certain areas called reservations were the last remnants of land were provided, this history is important. The broken promise of the government and other parties that promised that things would be okay has been long standing.” For the standing Rock Sioux they see the pipeline going through the Missouri River as creating problems with water access for the tribe, change in the water environment and a threat to their access to water quality. Secondly, the pipeline itself is also going to upset and encroach upon Native American burial sights and artifact sights that have existed for years untouched until there was a change in the interest regarding oil. This pipeline has threatened these rights for the Standing Rock Sioux. As a Sovereign Nation, they see this change fueled by national and corporate interest as a direct threat to their nationhood because access to water is key to survival. Professor Ferguson also emphasized that “There is also a larger story, and it comes from the call for all for the great Sioux Nation and all indigenous people to come and gather in protest against the pipeline. These protest then have larger meaning because they address the threat to indigenous people around the world and not just in the united states” because often times the narrative of losses for indigenous people around the world are a very similar
The North Dakota Access Pipeline will span from the Bakken, North Dakota to southern Illinois. The Standing Rock Sioux reservation opposes the pipeline because they believe that it goes through sacred land. The Sioux tribe also opposes the pipeline because it will cross the Missouri River twice, which is the reservations main water source. They believe that the pipeline may contaminate the Missouri River, but the pipeline company claims that the pipeline is the safest method to transfer the oil. I believe that this is a tough topic to form an opinion on, but I will hopefully explain my stance on this issue throughout this essay.
The area known as the Standing Rock Indian Reservation located in North Dakota and along the Missouri River, has been targeted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other governmental entities, to construct a 1,172-mile-long pipe, right through the area’s clean water and ancient burial grounds. The United States Government is in favor of the project for its economic benefit, while the Indian American tribes of Standing Rock are against the project due to the harmful implications that this pipe brings to their wellbeing and their heritage. With the news that this pipe was originally headed towards Bismarck North Dakota, (90% white population) and then re-routed towards Native lands, the question can be brought up: why was the pipe rerouted?
The native americans and other DAPL (Dakota Access Pipeline) opposers are filled with determination, distress, passion, and such resentment towards the pipeline project because it would run under and through ground that their ancestors knew as sacred and those beliefs are still very alive to this day. The pipeline is a 1,172 mile underground oil pipeline that will aid transporting oil through all 50 states in the USA; it was projected to go through sacred lands, reservations, and rivers. There are multifarious issues and concerns pertaining to project but some of the preeminent concerns are; historic preservation and sacred grounds becoming significantly damaged and irreparable, climate change and how it would just increase the production of CO2, and potential pipeline fractures and spills that would mutilate the crucial nearby farms and threaten contaminate for the water supply of thousands of people who depend on it.
The Dakota Access Pipeline is a problem for the natives, but obviously not for us Americans. Energy transfer quote that “Some protesters stayed overnight what looked like dog kennels and were let out in the morning”. This is why we need to stop the construction of this pipeline because it could leak and contaminate the water, the pipeline would be going through sacred grounds, and we need to stop the violence against the native protesters.
For the most part, everyone is pretty familiar with the Dakota Access Pipeline and the protests that surround it. A 1,172 mile pipeline project
Depending on their upbringings and potential distortion to one’s thought process, could lead to disregard of ongoing events. One major benefit of the Dakota Access Pipeline is the creation of more than 12,000 jobs (Dakota Access Pipeline 12). This increase in jobs would only be sustained while the pipeline is being constructed. Another benefit is the reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil and allowing the U.S. economy to grow, but a break in the pipeline could lead to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe potentially losing their only water source. One major socio-cultural issue involved is the way Native Americans perceive the Earth and its resources, compared to how Non-Natives perceive the Earth. Native Americans perceive the Earth as the provider of all life, along with it being very sacred to them. Resulting in the utmost respect for the Earth, and the responsibility for its well-being. One with opposing viewpoints should consider the rather negative and the heart wrenching history of the Native American people. Then and only then one can begin to understand the pride and heart of the Native American people. The constant battle with modern day Genocide and Colonization is one of the main driving forces behind the protest of the Dakota Access
The Energy Transfer Partners wants to install the Dakota Pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, but the Sioux tribe is fighting to stop the installation of the pipeline to preserve their culture and assert their right to the property. The Dakota Pipeline is an oil pipeline that would transport oil from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa into Illinois. The Dakota Pipeline should not be installed because it disrespects the Native Americans’ culture and discriminates against The Sioux, a minority within the United States. The unjust treatment of Native Americans is due to the government’s disregard for Native American property rights and the government’s belief that they can simply take Native American property away because they are
Standing Rock and Native Americans alike are coming together to protest the build of the pipeline. This issue is important because it is showing how prominent companies and corporate businesses can achieve what they want and treat a group of people terribly. The Native Americans have gone through many tough time throughout history. From the time that this land was called American and the United States the Indians have given up and sacrificed acre after acre. Their land has been ripped from their hands and destroyed. Where a piece of sacred land once used to lay there is now a mall or McDonalds sitting on it. History is disappearing, being erased from this earth because people are selfish and want greed. They just have to have a underground pipeline, instead of putting it on a train. No, this is not how the Native Americans or their sacred land or main water sources should be treated. Their land needs to be treated with respect just as the people should
More people will continue to suffer for no reason because our government doesn’t care about the cleanliness of your water look at flint they still suffer with water issues. Is this how it’s going to work whenever we oppose the government’s decisions we will be forced to comply by trumps army of racists? Think of how many lives will be affected by this pipeline and trump doesn’t care it’s all about money that’s all that matters to him and the oil companies they will always win they are just too powerful and to rich. I hope people really realize how bad it really is for these protesters, the pain they are enduring all to protect what’s theirs form contamination and if trump doesn’t stand up for them he doesn’t deserve to be our president. The president is suppose to protect his people and keep them safe and help his people what Donald trump does in his first month of office will determine whether or not he is impeached of not. In my opinion, I think president Obama in his last weeks in office will do the right thing and stand up for the people of standing rock reservation even if the help is taken away after trump is in
Native Americans are being disrespected, harmed, and their homeland is being taken from them. Am I talking about events taken place centuries ago? No, because these unfortunate circumstances yet again are occurring right here, now, in the present. This horrid affair has a name: The Dakota Access Pipeline. This Pipeline is an oil transporting pipeline, which is funded by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, who have devised a plan for the pipeline to run through the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois. However, unfortunately, this pipeline will run straight through the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe, expressing their distress for the pipeline have said, that the pipeline will be “Destroying our burial sites, prayer sites, and culturally significant artifacts,” Arguments for the pipeline however have tried to counter this claim, trying to emphasize that “The pipeline wouldn 't just be an economic boon, it would also significantly decrease U.S. reliance on foreign oil”, and that the pipeline is estimated to produce “374.3 million gallons of gasoline per day.”, which could help the sinking oil economy. (Yan, 2016) However, despite the economical growth it could achieve, the Dakota Access Pipeline could have damaging environmental effects on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the areas surrounding.
The pipeline not only poses a threat to one of only 326 Native American reservations left in this country, but also to the environment as a whole. Regardless of where you stand, the wrongdoing on the part of the United States Government is undeniable. The Dakota Access Pipeline is corrupt at its core and the dangers surrounding its construction have the potential to be catastrophic to the dwindling Native population by threatening their only source of water. A significant saying within the Sioux tribe, especially in times of protest, is a simple one, but one that is clearly not understood by some, and that is “water is